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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.